Snowplow attachment for automobiles



June 1 1926. 1,586,786

J. W. DAVIES SNOWPLOW ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May ll, 1923Patented June 1, 1925.

JOHN W., DAVIES, OF READING, MASSACHUSETTS.

' a SNOWPLOW ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed. May 11,

Considerable difficulty is experienced in driving an automobile over aroad covered with snow to any substantial depth. It is often necessary,however, to operate motor 53 vehicles under these conditions, and thisis particularly true of motor driven fire apparatus. W hen suitabletrack has once been made through the'snow an automobile can usually bedriven with considerable assuric ance that it will not be stalled, butthe milk ing of this initial track frequently is a very troublesomematter. In rural districts vhere the use of motor vehicles is generallyabandoned through the winter and sleighs and sleds are used in place ofthem, the

track made by such sleighs and sleds is not usually wide enough toaccommodate a motor driven vehicle, particularly a truck or a piece ofmotor driven fire apparatus ,The present invention deals with theproblem presented by these conditions and it is the chief object of theinvention to devise an attachment for motor vehicles which will permittheir use in depths of snow that otherwise would make such useimpossible.

The nature of the invention will be readily. understood from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a front elevation of an auto-' mobile equipped with snowplow attachments constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the attachments shown in Fig. 1, and theadji'icent parts that cooperate immediately with it;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the plow share; and

Fig. 4 isa cross-sectional view of a detail of construction.

In the construction shown a plow share 2, which may be of any suitableform, is supported immediately in front of the front wheel 3 of theautomobile. The weight of the plow share is supported by a vertical rod4, the lower end of which is flattened out and riveted to the back ofthe plow share, as best shown in Fig. 3. The upper end of this'rodprojects through a hole in a block 5 and is secured to the block by aset screw 6. This block is secured between the arms of a bumper 7 of atype commonly blocks by set screws 16. and 17.

1923. Serial No. 638,204.

used on automobiles and which forms. in effect, a bracket.

For the purpose of supporting the plow share against the thrust thatwill be exerted upon it by the snow, two thrust rods 8 and 9 arearranged to connect the plow share with the front axle 10 of thevehicle. Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that two blocks 12 and 18,respectively, are bolted to the back of the plow share and are drilledto provide sockets 1e and 15 in which the front ends of the thrust rods8 and 9, respectively are entered; The rods are secured to these Theopposite ends of these thrust rods are supported in .U-shaped straps orholders 19 and 20, respectively, which are clamped to the front axle 10.Referring to Fig. i it will be seen that the strap or holder 19 isclamped on the axle 10 by means of a bolt Ql and that it has a holetherein through which the rearward end of the thrust rod 9 projects,

the extremity of this rod bearing against the axle 10. The other rod 8is similarly connected to the axle.

In installing this attachment on the vehicle, the rod 4 is first securedin the block 5. The thrust rod 8 is next placed in its operativeposition, the plow share being swung far enough in a clockwisedirection, referring to l ig. 2, to force the two ends of the rod firmlyagainst the plow share and the axle, respectively. The front end of thisrod is then fastened in this position by the set screw 16. Therod 9 isshortened sufliciently by turning the turn buckle 22 to enable it to beplaced in its operative position, and the turn buckle is then rotated tolengthen this rod until its ends bring up firmly against the plow shareand axle, respectively. The forward end of this rod is next clamped byturning up the set screw 17. The apparatus then is ready for use. Todismount the apparatus it is merely necessary to reverse the operationsabove described.

A similar plow share 52 is mounted in front of the opposite front wheel3 in the same manner that the plow share 2 is mount-- ed. Thisarrangement is clearly shown in Fig, 1.

When a motor vehicle equipped with these plow attachments is driven overa road covered with a substantial depth of snow, the plow shares pushthe snow'aside out of the way of the wheels. I have found it possiblethrough the use of these attachments to drive a motor vehicle undercircumstances that would make driving absolutely impossible withoutthem. Under some circumstances one plow share only is necessary, as forinstance, where a well beaten track has been made but the track is toonarrow for the vehicle to be driven. It is preferable, however, to usetwo. These attachments are particularly valuable on motor driven lireapparatus since such apparatus is likely to be called to a fire in someremote district where it is necessary to drive over poorly broken outroads, or possibly over roads that are not broken out at all. It isoften impossible for motor driven apparatus to respond to such a fireimmediately after a heavy snow fall, but by using attachments of thecharacter above described, such apparatus can be driven safely through avery considerable depth of snow.

It will be noted that since the plow share can pivot about the axis ofthe rod e and since the relative lengths of the thrust rods areadjustable, it is possible to adjust the plow share so that the greaterpart of the thrust of the snow will come on a line be tween the rods.The rods engage the plow share at opposite sides of the axis of the rodst so that the plow share is prevented from turning or twisting} aboutthis axis while in operation. It will be appreciated that the particularmethod of mounting the device will vary with the construction of thevehicle to which it is to be applied, and that various expedients may beadopted for this purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

I. In an automobile, the combination of a bracket secured to the body ofthe automobile,.a plow share, an upright rod secured to said plow shareand adjustably mounted in said bracket, said bracket and rod supportingsaid plow share in front of one of the forward wheels of the automobileand permittin a swinging adjustment of said plow share about the axis ofsaid rod, and two rods connecting the front axle of the automobile withpoints on said plow share at opposite sides of said axis.

2. In an automobile, the combination of a plow share, means forconnecting said plow share with the body of the automobile to supportthe plow share in front of one of the wheels of the automobile, wherebysaid plow share will push aside snow from in front of said wheel, andtwo thrust rods connecting said plow share with a part of the chassis ofthe automobile and resisting the thrust of the snow against said plowsnare.

3. In an automobile, the combination of a plow share, a bracket securedto the body of the automobile, a rod connecting said bracket with saidplow share and supporting the plow share in front of one of the for wardwheels of the automobile, whereby said plow share will push aside snowfrom in front of said wheel, and two thrust rods connecting said plowshare with the front axle of the automobile, said rods preventing theplow share from tipping and supporting it against the thrust of thesnow.

4. In an automobile, the combination of a plow share, a bracket securedto the body of the automobile, a rod connecting said ln'acket with saidplow share and supporting the plow share in front of one of the forwardwheels of the automobile, whereby said plow share will push aside snowfrom in front of said wheel, and two thrust rods connecting the frontaxle of the automobile with said plow share at opposite sides of theaxis of said rod, said thrust rods supporting said plow share againstthe thrust of the snow and one of said thrust rods including a turnbuckle, whereby its length may be adjusted.

JOHN IV. DAVIES.

